Can cats eat flour?
This article will cover the concern of pet owners regarding “Can cats eat flour?” whether the flour is safe for their cat or not, what are the possible conditions if a cat eats flour, etc. Flour is a finely ground powder made from raw grains, roots, beans, nuts and seeds.
Can cats eat flour?
Yes, cats can eat flour on and off, but cats shouldn’t have access to the flour all the time. It doesn’t make much difference if your cat eats flour or flour made into other recipes because cats don’t have any difficulty digesting it. The dough is a bit different, and we’ll get into it.
Flours are an excellent carbohydrate source; many different types of flour are part of the food for many cultures worldwide. Different kinds of flour available to your cat include:
- Wheat flour is the most common and safe for cats but is not the most nutritious option. Cats with diabetes should avoid this flour.
- Almond flour is considered safe for cats with gluten intolerance or grain allergies. Although almond is not safe for cats, almond flour is a safe alternative for cats with such conditions.
- Rice flour is safe for cats and even mixed with cat food for cats with digestive issues. However, the fibre in it can be challenging to digest.
- Corn flour is safe for cats to eat, but it doesn’t add that much nutritional value.
Cats, being obligate carnivores, mainly depend on proteins and fats for their nutritional contents, more than carbohydrates. Cats can consume flour made from different grains, but care should be exercised in the case of diabetic cats. They should not be fed with wheat flour.
What are the benefits of flour being consumed by your cat?
Flours are grain-based food items that are part of some cat foods, and some cats are too fond of eating flour or flour-made recipes. Here are some of the benefits of flour being consumed by your cat:
- Non-toxic
- Cheap
- Nutritional value
- Source of minerals like magnesium, selenium, iron, copper, phosphate, etc.
A long-term deficiency in these nutritional values can cause a condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, which causes heart failure in cats. That’s why dietary values, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals, should be maintained for the proper health of cats.
What happens if your cat eats flour?
Flour eaten by cats in small amounts is acceptable, but if fed in large quantities can cause complications. Flours are plant-based food items, while cats being carnivores, mainly rely on proteins and fats for their nutritional content.
Cats get most of their energy from fats and should not contain more than 10% of their diet. The critical concern is to feed your carbohydrates in moderation to your cat. Similarly, flour should be provided to your cat up to a specific limit.
What are the possible conditions if your cat eats flour?
Cats fed with flour usually like to eat it, but you should remember that grain allergies are prevalent in the feline world. Grain allergies are actually due to the high fibre content in various flours, which causes difficulty in digestion.
If you think your cat has developed grain allergy due to flour eating, you can look for the following symptoms:
- Itching
- Scratching
- Hair loss or baldness patches
- Indigestion
- Skin and ear infections
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
The best possible way out is to consult this situation with your veterinarian and make a proper diet plan for your cat and look for changes in nutrition. You can carry out food trials and food challenges of your cat’s diet with the help of a veterinarian to rule out unwanted diet content.
What happens if your cat eats raw dough?
Raw dough eaten by your cat is harmful and can even kill your cat. The dough contains yeast in it, and if the cat eats it, the fermentation process continues to carry on in the cat’s stomach leading to various conditions, which include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Intestinal upset
- Bloating
Bloating is a condition caused by eating raw dough in cats, also known as gastric-dilation volvulus. Gases continue to come out of yeast inside the stomach and fill it, causing stomach and intestinal obstruction. Symptoms of bloating include lethargy, rapid heartbeat, excessive drooling, vomiting or burping.
Conclusion:
This article cleared your concern, “Can cats eat flour?”. All this discussion led us to the result that your cat can have bites from your flour recipes but giving them in large amounts should be avoided due to their associated concerns of grain allergies and bloating.
This article also covered what happens if your cat eats flour, which things you should keep in mind to feed your cat, and why cats like to eat flour.
